Determined: Original!
by LoveLoveLovix
Summary: Fifteen year old Mirabelle LaFont knew she'd get Marked- after all, it runs in the family. However, as she moves across the country to attend the historic House of Night Tulsa, she discovers that she's destined for so much more than just a sapphire crescent. Miri is meant for a gift thought lost to vampyre society. TO BE REWRITTEN.
1. I FINALLY get Marked

_Part One: Tracked_

The ceremonial words didn't mean much to me. I knew they were coming.

I intuitively knew that someday, he would find me, and someday, I would be Marked. The fact that I didn't fit in made me almost look forward to this event, instead of dread it as my friends did, and this set me apart in yet another way.

Now, in the bathroom of Bellbrook High, right after my weekly Thursday student council meeting, I fingered the crescent tattoo, a sapphire outline embossed on to my otherwise clear forehead. Curly brown bangs brushed the top of the crescent, and I pushed them out of the way with one urgent motion.

"I'm a vampyre," I said to myself, slowly. "A vampyre."

And though I knew it, knew it from the time I first saw someone get Marked, saw the Tracker's gaze meet mine for a small second before he disappeared, for a moment I was unprepared.

Cassadee Mathewson, my absolute best friend in the world, tentatively tapped me on the shoulder. "Uh, Miri, this might be a really bad time, but… um, aren't you gonna start dying any moment now?"

Oh God Almighty, totally forgot about that part. "Most likely," I commented dryly, grabbing my book bag and heading to her car. "So, my house first, then… that House of Night place?"

"Don't you want your mom to drive you?" Cass asked, her eyebrows raised speculatively.

"Depends, is she gonna start crying?"

"I don't know, really." she said, attempting a light grin and failing.

"Yeah, I'm not sure either." I sighed.

My house was old, built in nineteenth century Bellbrook- a controversial city, only recently settled by it's first vampyre. Now, seeing a vamp around town was much more common. We were located at about the halfway point between two of the House of Night schools, the Dayton location and the Columbus. Even the Cincinnati House of Night wasn't far off. But even with the ideal location, I had still only seen one person get marked in my entire life.

Cass slammed her old car to an abrupt halt. "You want me to go in, for, like, moral support?"

I hesitated. On one hand, the booklet all fifth grade students were given by visiting vampyre professors (_Starting Life as a Fledgling Vampyre in Three Steps_) told us that telling your parents you were Marked was a special experience for family only. But, still, I knew I'd feel better with Cass in there. I nodded and started into the house, Cass patting my shoulder comfortingly.

"Flatten your bangs," she whispered in my ear. "You wanna be the one to tell them. Don't let them see it before they hear it." Her quotation of the pamphlet was precise and comforting.

She did it for me before my long, pale hand had any time to move. "There," she said. "Perfect."

I glanced past her at the mirror in our hallway. I did look human, if absolutely terrified. My dark hair concealed the blue tattoo pretty well.

"Oh God, here comes your mom," Cass said, and I dived behind her.

My mother was the sort of woman that wasn't intimidating, wasn't strong, wasn't horrible. But she had a sort of presence, a sort of aura about her. Nobody could lie to my mother, and usually, she just knew stuff. More than likely, all Cass's preparations to help me look human were in vain.

She twirled her blonde hair (I got my looks from my dad). "What happened at school today?" she asked me matter-of-factly. "And tell the truth, I know something happened."

Cass, still in front of me, waved at my mom in a weak distraction. "Uh, hi, Ms. LaFont," she said cheerily. "Nice day, isn't it?"

"Well, I'm sure it's a nice day, and I wish you'd just call me Aphrodite, Cassadee dear, but I really need to see Mirabelle right now." Mom twisted her hair around her finger again.

I poked one arm out and waved. "Hi, Mom," I said.

She sighed. "Your forehead, Mirabelle, your forehead. God Almighty."

Slowly, I emerged from behind Cass. Mom briskly walked over to me and brushed my bangs away. "You've been Marked," she commented in an un-opinionated voice, as if she didn't mind- maybe didn't even care- that I was.

"Yep," I said, immediately replacing my hair over the tattoo.

Despite her previous display of un-emotion, her eyes started to tear up. "Oh, Miri," she cried, resorting suddenly and unexpectedly to my nickname, which she had always hated. "Mirabelle, you'll have so much fun. The best four years of my life were spent at House of Night Tulsa."

Cass's eyes nearly dropped out of their sockets. "Ms. Aphrodite ma'am, you're human… aren't you?"

"Just Aphrodite, dear, and yes, I am, mostly."

"Mostly?"

"Yes, but enough about me. What about Mirabelle?"

"I'm cool," I said automatically.

My mother nodded. "Okay then, go get packed. Tulsa's a long way away…"

"Tulsa!?!" my friend shrieked.

"Okay, Mom, that is totally not cool, Tulsa's in like, Oklahoma, and the only thing I know about that place is from the musical." I ranted on. "And besides, Dayton and Columbus both have a House of Night, and they're sooo much closer."

"What do I do when I need her advice?" Cass demanded.

Mom remained cool. "You e-mail her."

"What if I need her?" I asked.

"Then YOU email HER," she responded, still calm.

"What if we need to see each other in person?!?" we yelled in unison.

Mom laughed, tossing back her blonde hair. "Mirabelle will have new friends of her own kind that she can go to, and Cassadee, you're still a sophomore. It'll be easy to make friends this year. Both of you will be absolutely fine, you can be pen pals or something."

"No way, Aphrodite, your honor" Cass said, pushing her wisps of syrupy dyed-red hair behind her ears stubbornly. "Miri isn't leaving any more than she has to."

"Yeah! I'll go to Dayton or somewhere. I'm sixteen, you can't control me much anymore!" I screamed rebelliously.

"You aren't sixteen, yet," Mom reminded me.

"Well, I'm almost sixteen. I can drive, though!" Resisting a childish urge to stick out my tongue, I folded my arms over my chest.

"But it's not like you have your license."

"No, but I've got my permit, and Cass has her license AND a car. If you wanna drive me all the way to Tulsa, then I'll get Cass to take me to Dayton," I threatened.

"Your dad just moved to back to Tulsa," Mom said, raising her eyebrow.

Well, that changed things. I hadn't seen my dad since I was little. It was customary for humans and vampyres to live separate lives, and so my parents relationship had been scorned at and discriminated until it slowly fell to pieces.

I looked at Cass pleadingly. She sighed. "Go ahead, Miri, I'd feel the same way."

I smiled gratefully before grasping Cass's hand. "Come with us. It's the last time we'll get to see each other in a while, and I know I'd feel better in Tulsa if you helped me settle in. It's a three-day weekend, you'll be back for school on Monday."

"Tuesday," my friend smiled. "I'll call in sick."

I hugged her tightly. "You're the best, Cass!"

"Hell, maybe I should just transfer down to Broken Arrow High while I'm at it," Cass joked. Then she sighed. "I wish I really could switch schools, but Annette would kill me." Annette was Cass's older sister and legal guardian. She gave Cass a lot of freedom, but cracked down hard on the rare occasion that my friend took advantage of it.

"So, Cass is coming too?" Mom commented, again in her uncaring voice.

"Yeah… this might just be our only chance to go on a road trip together, and that was one of the things on our list of stuff to do before we die," I said enthusiastically.

Cass cracked a smile. "Well, Miri… if you wanna get technical…"


	2. God, Mom is a nerd

It took forever to get packed, mostly because Cass and Mom insisted that I not over-exert myself. "You know," I commented dryly as they raced to shove my underwear into a suitcase, "time is supposed to be worse for me than heavy lifting."

That only made them more panicked, and the air in my bedroom soon filled with flying t-shirts.

Mom glanced at her watch once everything was shoved into the car. "Okay. Emergency plan- if Mirabelle starts rejecting the Change, Cassadee will drive while I call the nearest House of Night. She can recover there for a few days while Cassadee drives back to Bellbrook. I'll catch a plane home."

Cassadee sighed and pulled out her wallet. "Or, we could skip the car and the emergency plans and ride an airplane in the first place." A shiny black credit card gleamed in her hand, and she held it out to my mother.

Mom put on her stern face. "Cassadee Mathewson, I can't accept money from a minor, and…"

"Annette isn't a minor," Cass said smugly, waving the plastic cared around in the air.

"And, anyway, we could pay for it ourselves, but… well, actually, that might work," Mom agreed. "We'll fly to Tulsa. I think if I pull some strings, I could get an old friend to pick us up."

"Dad?" I questioned, perking up.

"No, her name's Zoey. Back in my teen years, she was like a little sister to me. A little sister who overshadowed everything I did, but still…" Mom had a glazed look in her eyes as she reminisced.

"Wait," Cass commanded. "Zoey as in 'Mirabelle Dariusa Zoey LaFont?' Is that where her crazy, long, weird name comes from?"

"Yes, that would be the right Zoey." Her eyes still had the faraway look, and a chuckled, wondering who exactly this girl was if she was important enough to be my namesake. "Zoey Redbird, we were in the Dark Daughters together."

Cass and I climbed into my the LaFont family silver Volkswagen as my mother chatted away on her cell. "Yes…" we heard her murmur. "Her name is Mirabelle LaFont, not that that'll be important anymore… I know more about vampyres than you think, buddy boy!"

After a few seconds of listening to this obviously awkward exchange, Cass and I burst out laughing. "Buddy boy?" Cass asked me. "Miri, I swear, your mother can be so… funny."

"Yeah, I know."

Mom started walking towards us. "Who was that?" I called out.

"Some idiot that thought I was one of those damn People of Faith, humph."

"Did you just say 'humph,' Mom?"

Mom glared at me. "That's enough backtalk, miss."

Cass and I looked at each other, suppressing laughter.

"Let's go," Cass said. "We don't have all eternity. Except for maybe Miri."

The trip to the airport was long and tedious. We had gotten past all joking point by then, and worry filled the air. People stared at my forehead as we brushed past the crowd in both Columbus and Tulsa.

As we walked out of Tulsa's main entrance, Mom nudged me. "Look for a woman with loads of marks, dark hair, and brown eyes. Zoey."

I just started to glance around as a confident voice called out. "Aphrodite!"

My mother turned. "Oh my goddess, Zoey, it's been a while."

Zoey was stunning. Folds of dark, wavy hair poured down her back and her entire body was outlined with deep blue tattoos, more tattoos than I had ever seen. "This must be little Mirabelle Dariusa… Zoey… LaFont. I haven't seen her since she was three!"

"Four, actually," Mom corrected. "We moved just as she was about to start in preschool. Anyways, this is our Mirabelle, and her friend, Cassadee Mathewson."

"Hey," Cass said coolly. "Nice to meet you."

"Come, we need to get Miri to the school. You two are welcome to come- visitation rules have been pretty relaxed lately. None of the drama we had when we were fledglings, Afro."

My mother's face fell quickly. "I know we haven't seen each other in awhile, but you are still SO not allowed to call me that."

I climbed into the taxi, slamming down next to Cass. The two adults climbed in after me. "So Mirabelle," Zoey asked lightly. "How much do you know about vampyres?"

"Eh, enough to know that I'm either gonna be one, or I'm gonna die."

The two adults gave each other knowing looks. "Actually," Zoey said, smiling. "Here in Oklahoma, there's really no risk. We have two types of vampyres, the blue ones and the red ones, and really it's equally divided. Most classes have both kinds of fledglings in them, and it doesn't matter which you are- we believe in equal treatment here in Tulsa."

"Cool, so I'm not gonna die?"

"I never said that."

Cass caught my eye, and made the cuckoo sign. Zoey chuckled. "Cass… you prefer Cass to Cassadee, right? It's hard to understand, but it's the truth. Mirabelle will learn what it means, and I expect that she'll tell you as soon as she understands. Which should be soon- we're here, and Mirabelle's roommate is a red fledgling. Isabelle Massie."

"Isabelle Massie?!?" Cass shrieked.

"So, you've heard of her," Zoey said, smiling. "Yes, Isabelle Massie is our star pupil, Red High Priestess in Training, and clothing designer. She's probably the brightest pupil House of Night has ever had." Zoey's eyes shone with favoritism. I hoped that wasn't one of her most prominent characteristics.

We got out of the car at a large church-like building. "Home," my mother announced. I didn't know who's home she was talking about- mine, hers, or Zoey's. I suppose all three.

Her eyes flushed with a nostalgic twinkle. "I haven't been to Tulsa in ages… here, Mirabelle, this is where I met your father. And over there- that's where I became a Dark Daughter…"

"There's where you really stopped being a hag from hell," Zoey laughed, pointing.

Mom glared at her friend. "Zoey, my daughter is here…"

"Right, right. Anyways, Mirabelle, you're different than most fledglings we get here- they've usually fainted and crap like that." Zoey's casual tone seemed a bit weird to me, her being an adult and everything, but I was getting used to it. "So, let's skip to the good part. Now that you've been marked, you're starting a new life, so you get to change your name if you want." Zoey leaned in close. "Personally, if I were you, I'd shorten it. And no, I won't be insulted if you drop the 'Zoey' part."

"Hmm. I do like Mirabelle," I sighed. "But Dariusa's kind of hard to say… and Zoey isn't really my style… so Mirabelle."

"Mirabelle without a last name? Or Mirabelle LaFont?" Zoey prompted.

I bit my pinky nail, considering. "Neither. Mirabelle Bellbrook. Like the town."

"Good choice!" said Cass

"It has a ring to it," the woman agreed, smiling. "Now, to find you a mentor. If you don't have any objections… I'd be happy to be that for you. I sort of feel like you're part of my family, Mirabelle."

"Fine," I shrugged.

"Lastly, let's introduce you to Isabelle."

We walked to the dorm building slowly, Zoey telling my mother just how much the school had changed. "We try to make it more fun- it's important for students not to be working all the time. We encourage students to share what they feel. This morning is our karaoke contest, it should be starting any moment. Does Mirabelle sing?"

"A little," I admitted. "I love musicals."

"She wanted to be like Susan Egan, particularly from her performance of 'Beauty and the Beast.' Although she also loves Hercules," Cass confided.

"I bet if we get you settled quick enough, we can get you up on stage sometime tonight. Here. First door on the left, up the stairs, and third door down. Don't forget."

I smiled. "Easy. To the left like the Cha Cha slide, up the stairs like that REM song about the elephant, Three Doors Down like the band. And Don't Forget like Demi Lovato's first album."

Zoey laughed. "And to think I asked if you if you were musical!"

I attempted a weak smile. I didn't tell her I got stage fright.


	3. I Hate Karaoke and Big Words

Up the stairs and a few doors to the right was an open door. Zoey peeked her head in. "Hey, Isabelle, your roommate is here!"

A dark haired girl with a red crescent moon on her forehead glanced at us. "Oh, hi, Professor Zoey. Good timing, I was about to head down."

"I know," Zoey said, beaming. "Anyway, this is Mirabelle Bellbrook. She seemed like a good match for you. Maybe you could take her down with you in a moment? She sings."

Cass, beside me, was breathing heavily, her eyes wide. I nudged her. "Cass, snap out of it!" I hissed below my breath, before turning to Isabelle. "Uh, hi! I'm Miri, and this is my mom and my friend Cass."

Cass waved a little. "Hi," she squealed.

Isabelle smiled warmly. "Pleasure to meet you."

Mom nodded to Cass. "Zoey said we could visit tomorrow, but today we'd better get to the hotel and hit the hay."

Cass followed her. "Bye, Miri!" she yelled.

"Bye," I said, already missing my best friend, even though I knew I'd see her again soon enough.

Isabelle looked at me. "Mirabelle Bellbrook, age fifteen, formerly of Bellbrook, Ohio. Am I right?"

"Yeah," I said, amazed. "How did you know?"

"It's my affinity," Isabelle said simply. "I know a lot of stuff."

"You have an affinity for knowing stuff?"

She twirled a strand of hair around her finger. "Yeah."

We walked down the stairs quietly, neither of us speaking until we reached the dormitory door. "You know, I kind of thought they'd room me with another red fledgling."

"What's the difference?" I asked.

Isabelle laughed. "I forgot. They don't tell the new kids until, like, their first month is up. But then again, you came here in one piece, you must be pretty strong. The main difference is, I'm dead."

"Dead," I snorted. "You're standing right in front of me! How can you be dead?"

"I rejected the Change. Some evil person had this whole formula figured out to bring them back, and even after she was defeated, that stayed. Honestly though, it's a good thing she came way before my time. I heard the early Red Fledglings had absolutely NO sense about them." Isabelle continued to twist black hair around a pale finger lazily as she spoke. "Although after Stevie Rae became High Priestess, things got better. And she chose me to be her High Priestess in Training. It's a big honor; I get to be a leader in the Dark Daughters now, and someday I will be one of the most powerful vampyres known. Count on it."

Isabelle had an air of confidence to her that I didn't think I could ever match. She moved like she was dancing through the dark, empty grounds of the school. "I'm sure you will too, though," she continued. "After all, Zoey obviously favors you already. Hmm. I wonder why. It took me a bit to get on her good side."

"She's my mom's best friend," I explained. "I was named for her when I was human."

"Oh, that makes sense. Everyone enjoys flattery." Isabelle winked at me. "So, you sing. What?"

I bit my lip. "Musical stuff."

"Don't tell me- you wanna be like Elaine Paige or somebody like that."

"Susan Egan, actually."

She raised her eyebrows. "Megara from Hercules?"

"I usually think of her as the stage version of Belle, from Beauty and the Beast." I was sure I was blushing. Here was a girl I had met not five minutes earlier, and I was already sharing my deep dark secrets with her.

"Oh. You know, we have a bunch of Disney karaoke CDs. I bet you could find something from Beauty and the Beast."

"We'll see. I've never seen a karaoke CD from the musical version."

I followed her into a larger room, full of laughing fledglings. A Chinese girl with a mark that matched mine stood on a makeshift stage, singing a bad rendition of "My Heart Will Go On." Isabelle waved to her enthusiastically.

"That's my friend Dresden," she told me. "I'll introduce you guys when she's done."

"You are safe in my heart," the girl- Dresden- wailed. "And my heart will go on and on!"

She climbed off the stage and ran over to us. "Remind me again, Izzy: why did I agree to do that?"

Isabelle shrugged. "Just don't say I didn't warn you."

"Fine, you warned me," Dresden said, laughing.

Isabelle turned to me. "Dress, this is my new roomie, Mirabelle Bellbrook."

I waved awkwardly. "Just Miri."

The girl smiled. "I'm Dresden Kai-Lan McCurdy. Just call me Dresden. Like the city in the state of Saxony, Germany. Almost completely destroyed in World War Two, rebuilt years later."

Isabelle laughed. "If you can't tell, Dress is our resident genius. She's in the gifted program. Professor Damien is even her mentor, and she can even understand him! In a few weeks, you'll understand just how smart that makes her."

"I'm not that smart!" Dress said, shuffling her feet. "I mean, I got rejected from Harvard."

"Only 'cause they're totally anti-vampyre," Isabelle said, hugging her. "I mean, do you see Professor Damien with an Ivy League degree? Nope!"

"Hey, you HAVE to be smarter than me. I'll be in here forever, trying to pass freshman math year after year," I smiled and interjected.

Isabelle smiled. "First off; it's not freshman- we call it third former. Second, we don't take math here."

I could feel my eyes widening. "Did I just die and go to heaven?"

"Die, maybe. Heaven, no. In heaven, there would be zero homework." Isabelle laughed.

An adult vampyre with rough stubble and disheveled hair picked up the mike. "Last call for karaoke- anyone?"

"Go on," Isabelle urged me. "I'm sure we'll find something you know."

"I don't perform," I blurted. "Really, really bad stage fright. You can't get me up there."

"I'll do it with you. It'll be fun," my roommate promised. "Professor Damien, we'll do it!"

He smiled. "Okay. Isabelle and… Mirabelle, right?"

"Yeah," Isabelle said, obviously pumped. "Come on, Miri, let's go."

"Okay, fine, whatever, " I said, following her. "But don't say I didn't warn you."

Professor Damien ushered us over to the karaoke machine. "It's great to meet you, Mirabelle," he grinned. "I hope you find us congenial. I'm Professor Damien Maslin, instructor in the Gifted and Talented Fledglings program; but let's save introductions for a school day. For now, choose your song. We've got a plethora of karaoke CDs to choose from, so there should be something…"

"Uh, show me the musical stuff."

"What musical?" he prompted, running his hands through his hair.

Isabelle looked at me. "Beauty and the Beast?"

"If I'm gonna have to do it, I guess it WOULD be best," I sighed.

Isabelle offered up a tentative smile. "Alrighty, then. How about this one?"

The classic "Home," from the scene where Belle chooses to stay in the castle. "Rings a bell," I joked. "Let's do it."

The words flashed on the screen, not that I needed them. Closing my eyes, hoping I wouldn't think of the people watching me, I sang the song that so described how I felt.

__

"Is this home? Is this where I should learn to be happy?

Never dreamed that a home could be dark and cold.

I was told everyday in my childhood, even when we grow old

Home would be where the heart is; never were words so true.

My heart's far, far away. Home is too."


	4. Nyx has to pick me of all people!

Isabelle's harmonic alto voice wavered through my higher voice, and the duet carried around the grounds. I snuck a peek and was immediately upset that I did. Lots of fledglings watched me- actually, more Isabelle, but I was right next to her. I groaned as Isabelle started on "What I'd give to return to the life that I knew lately."

The fanfare came and Isabelle glanced over. "Are you cool?" she whispered between her lips, like a ventriloquist. I nodded and tried to get back in my game. It wasn't working.

The rest of the song kind of went with me mouthing the words and trying to ignore all the fledglings. It seemed like it took forever to end.

When it finally hit the last note, I rushed off the stage. Isabelle ran after me. "Mirabelle, what is wrong with you? You were awesome. Better than Dresden, at least."

"I heard that!" the girl said, crossing her arms.

Isabelle shrugged and laughed. "You need more confidence, Miri. And I think I've got just the idea. Come on."

Her fingers wrapped around my arm before I could object. "Okay, so I'd totally just make you a Dark Daughter here and now, but I need Tatiana's approval. That's the rules," she explained.

I gasped. "What? Dark Daughters? Me? Huh?"

She stopped, turned, and glared at me. "Don't be so shocked. You'd totally fit in. Besides, no roomie of mine is going to be out of the group. Tatiana's not the smartest, so I'll just trick her into letting you in if she says no."

I double blinked as Isabelle continued to drag me. "Um, Isabelle? Can't I, like, settle in before I have to join any groups?"

She tugged me harder in response.

"Ouch!" a blonde exclaimed as Isabelle shoved me against her.

Isabelle sighed. "Tatiana. Just the person I was looking for."

"What? Why?" she asked, annoyed.

Isabelle shoved me in front of her. "Look. Girl. Roomie. Dark Daughters. Game?"

Tatiana raised one eyebrow. "Uh, sure. Whatever. I can't understand your geek speak, Izzy."

Isabelle smirked. "Thanks, Tatty."

Tatiana huffed, and walked away. "Whatever."

Isabelle smiled. "She'll love you, Miri."

I gaped at her. "Really? She seems like the kind of person who hates the world."

"Oh, she does," Isabelle smiled. "That's Tatiana Bates-Kessler. Hating and loving it."

I smiled- it probably looked as awkward as I felt. "Uh, okay, I guess. What does she actually do, anyway?"

"She's like… um… for lack of better example… really, no clue. I guess she kind of sits around and pretends to work. I'm the Atlas of the Daughters, the girl who keeps the world of the fledglings on her pretty little shoulders. But she's in training just like I am. Why Zoey chose her, though, I don't know. It's completely stupid."

"Does she have an affinity?"

"Yeah, an affinity for stupid. That's how powerful her stupidity is."

I took a breath. Man, Isabelle didn't seem to get along with her co-leader very well…

"She's okay though. More witch than vampire, a lot like… hmm, how to say it?"

"A… hag from hell?" I suggested, remembering what Zoey had called my mom.

Isabelle smacked her hand onto her forehead. "Hag from hell! God, Miri, you are SUCH a genius. A hag from hell, Tatiana, huh!"

* * *

By some miracle, all my stuff had been moved to my dorm. We had an hour before lights out, so Isabelle and I did a bit of chatting. I was happy to find out that even though she was three years older, and famous, and… dead… we still had loads in common, from favorite musical (Rent) to taste in guys.

Eventually, the sun began to rise, and although it felt completely wrong, I settled into my bed, discreetly sniffing my old blue comforter- it still smelled just like that old house in Bellbrook.

"Mirabelle," a voice said softly.

I sat up in my bed. "Isabelle? Are you awake?"

"Mirabelle, step out of bed."

I may have only known Isabelle a few hours, but I knew that it wasn't her voice. Some part of me wanted to ignore it- but I had to go somewhere. I just knew. But what exactly did I know, what was this at all?

In a second, I had made my decision. I slipped on my flip-flops and followed some intuitive map out to an old, beautiful building in the center of the campus. A statue of a woman, hands raised and a smile playing on full stone lips stood there, the full moon shimmering on the finish. The vampyre goddess, Nyx. The voice had led me to Nyx's Temple.

I entered carefully, and another statue seemed to greet me. Only this one was painted to perfection, not a cold stone, but an almost living…

"Mirabelle Bellbrook."

Omigosh. It really was Nyx. "Um… yeah?" I squeaked, not exactly sure what to do. I was in the presence of a goddess, after all!

She smiled. "There is no need to be nervous. I am not here to punish tonight, only to gift."

Oh, great. I knew the stories my mother had told me. Some fledglings were gifted. Or, at least, had powers. My mother, who had retained hers, wasn't so sure it was a gift at all.

"Your mother, Mirabelle, was a special case. I fear she may never forgive me for giving her those specific abilities, but it was in order to save my children. I meant no harm."

Holy crap, she could read minds (Well, considering she's the vampyre goddess, I should have known, I guess.)!

"Mirabelle- your gift will not tune you to pain and suffering in any way. You will be the one who has the power to void it. However, it may come with it's own set of problems, as many will deny that you are gifted at all. Although this gift has been given fairly recently, it has not been recognized for thousands of years, so long that not only are almost all vampyres with it gone, but all of the memories and stories of the last element are gone, too."

"The last element? You mean Spirit?" I asked, confused. "But Zoey has that element herself, and she was a fledgling only a couple decades ago. Definitely not thousands of years."

"No, not Spirit, Miri, although that is certainly the closest thing there is to it. Zoey did not have all the elements. She proved herself worthy of five, of course, but she was as incapable of wielding the last element as many others."

"What is the element? And why do I have it?"

Nyx smiled one last smile at me. "Miri, you have enough of it inside you to figure it out. Just know two things. First, while your affinity can do many things- work miracles, even- it cannot bring you what you most seek. You must do that yourself. And second, remember that I will watch over you. You now know where you can find me, my daughter. I am always near."

A flash of warm light engulfed Nyx and I. It felt pleasant, for one long moment, and I smiled, content. Then a flash of pain engulfed my head, and I groaned. My eyes closed, enjoying the darkness- it made me feel better.

"Mirabelle? Miri?"

I opened my eyes. "Huh?"

Isabelle leaned over me, dressed in the versatile House of Night uniform and looking concerned. "Are you okay? I think you fell out of your bed."

I got up, and felt the cold wooden floor under my hand. "Ouch."

She held out a hand, trying to help me up, and I took it. "So, what'd Nyx say to you?"

I looked at Isabelle, my eyes wide. "How did you know about Nyx?"

"Call it intuition," she joked.

I hesitated. Should I tell her? Something in me said I should. "Nyx told me I was gifted with a sort of sixth element. One that nobody else has had for a while. Like a couple millennia."

She didn't show any sign of belief or otherwise. "What are you gonna do?"

This time, there was no hesitation. "I'm gonna find out what exactly I can do."


	5. My schedule is pretty convoluted

Lying on my desk was my schedule, pointed out to me by Isabelle. It was pretty… interesting, I guess you could say.

_**Mirabelle Dariusa Zoey LaFont  
(Mirabelle Bellbrook)  
Entering Third Former**_

First Hour: Fledgling Adjustment and Sociology: Blue I- Prof. Redbird

Second Hour: Drama 101- Prof. Night  
OR  
Music 101 - Prof. Johnson  
OR  
Espanol Uno - Prof. Garmy

Third Hour: Literature 101- Prof. Penthesilia

Fourth Hour: Choral Studies- Prof. Night

Fifth Hour: Gifted and Talented Fledglings- Professor Maslin

Sixth Hour: Lunch

Seventh Hour: Modern Dance- Prof. Heckman

"How much do they know about us?" I asked Isabelle. "I mean, Choral Studies? Modern Dance?"

Isabelle grabbed my schedule out of my hand. "Let's see- we don't have first hour together, of course- I'm in Red II, not Blue I. What elective are you taking? I've got Drama."

"That's probably what I'll take. That, or Music," I said, shrugging.

"Cool. Professor Night is awesome. I've got a more advanced Lit class, but later in the day… I have lunch third hour. Choral Studies I have… and I'm also in Gifted, as well as Dresden and Miss Bitch. And I don't have Modern Dance, I take Fencing instead."

"Oh." Well, what was I going to do during the rest of those classes, when I was all alone as the new kid?

Isabelle put her arm around me, which was comforting until I remembered that she was… dead. "Cheer up, Miri. All the fledglings and vamps are pretty friendly. And you can talk to Professor Redbird whenever- mentors are supposed to put everything down for their fledglings." Isabelle suddenly became serious. "And you should tell her about this sixth element crap, too. She can probably help you figure it out."

"I dunno," I said. "I mean, it almost sounded like an insult when I think about it. Nyx said she was incapable of wielding it- even wielding, and I have this whole affinity problem! What would Zoey say if I told her?"

"Professor Redbird would find out anyway. Vampyres know stuff. Like, more stuff than I know, and that's hard."

We headed down to the Dining Hall for breakfast, a buffet style meal with my favorite- danishes. Mmmmm.

I sat next to Dresden, Isabelle, and a couple other Dark Daughters and Sons kids I didn't know. It was pretty uncomfortable already, me being the new kid. When the bell rang to signal the start of classes, I was almost glad.

Zoey was my first teacher, and I hoped that she wouldn't ask to talk to me until I wasn't so nervous. I didn't doubt that she knew things like that, considering my mother did, and she was mostly human. I slipped in, sitting at the first empty desk I saw.

Zoey looked up. "Hi, Miri. You doing okay?"

"Um…" I stuttered, "I guess. Isabelle is nice."

Zoey smiled. "We try to put people who would be friends together. It's nicer that way, and easier for new fledglings to adjust if their roommates are nice. It's also why we have this class."

"Fledgling Adjustment and Sociology: Blue I?"

She nodded. "Blue and Red I are our shortest classes- you only take them for three months, one quarter of a year. All our other classes are year or semester. However, unlike others, they aren't jump-right-in: every fledgling works at her or his own pace for basics, and lectures are done as a class, but we jump around in the textbook. Today, we're at the part about modern culture, which is a good place to begin- you, especially with a heritage such as your own, should know most of this already. Follow me, please."

She walked me to a set of cupboards in the back of the room. "You'll be in Cupboard 17, Miri. It should have all of your school supplies."

I looked. It contained two folders with sheet music bursting out, a few random textbooks, and… dance shoes in size 11? Wow, how the hell did they find those? I didn't know there were dance shoes in my size!

"Any questions?" Zoey asked, sounding concerned.

I shrugged. "Um, what's Gifted and Talented Fledglings? And why am I in it?"

Zoey smiled. "Miri, I can tell when a fledgling is going to be gifted. And I have a feeling you are going to be very gifted indeed.

I smiled as well, nervous. "Um, I'm not sure. I guess I better go get ready for class, huh?" And I left, not wanting to talk about Nyx yet.


	6. Guys are scarier than red fledglings

Zoey looked after me, concerned again, but soon she walked to the front of the class. "We'll be around page 81 today, but we will be leaving the classroom about halfway through."

"Woo!" a male fledgling with blond hair and a cheesy smile in the back row called out. "Field trip!"

"Sorry, Justin- we're just going to the other side of campus." Zoey laughed a bit. "But your enthusiasm is appreciated."

The blond- Justin- groaned comically. "Come on, Professor Redbird! Where's the fun in that?"

Zoey got a bit sterner. "Justin, I was involved in the Great Vampyre War. Do you really believe that it was fun?"

Justin fell silent, and Zoey started the lecture. "In the old House of Night, fledglings were expected to have no reactions or emotions, or so it seemed. Out of every ten of you, one would die, if not more. Yet, no grief was allowed. You must push through, relying on your own strength. As the vampyre Charles Darwin said, 'Survival of the fittest."

"I'd like you to raise your hands if you have a close friend, boyfriend or girlfriend, or roommate who is a red fledgling."

Almost everyone, including me, raised their hands.

"Now," Zoey continued, her voice full of emotion and passion, "imagine that it was thirty years ago. A fledgling dies. They don't turn into a red fledgling- instead, you never see them again. How would your life be different?"

Justin raised his hand. "We wouldn't have to worry about our roomies killing us in the middle of the night?"

Half the class laughed, and the other half grabbed their throats instinctively. Would Isabelle really do that?

Zoey gave Justin an evil eye. "Justin Manchester, since you seem to know so much about the red fledglings, why don't you give a presentation to the class tomorrow? I want a full detail about the events of the Tulsa House of Night in 2005."

He smirked. "Sure, Professor."

Zoey gave him an evil look one last time before motioning us up out of our seats. "Today we're headed for the East Wall. This was the site of some of the first sightings of the red fledglings, as well as a magic hot spot."

Our class, about twenty people, all with a blue crescent moon tattooed on their forehead, left the building quietly, so other classes weren't disturbed. However, as soon as we were all outside in the dark, everyone started chattering excitedly.

I walked alone for a bit, really taking in the sights. It was a beautiful campus- maybe gorgeous was a better word. At just past eight PM on a late summer night, the sky was still glowing with a leftover tint of the setting sun. Still, as a brand new fledgling, my eyesight was obviously worse than anyone else's, as I kept bumping into trees.

"Hey, new girl," a voice said from my right.

I turned to face that blond with the sarcasm problem. Justin Manchester. "Need a little help?" he smirked.

I blushed, embarrassed. "I'm fine. Just… a little out of it."

"New-fledgling-itus. I see." He scratched his chin, looking thoughtful. "It's a very dangerous disorder to have. Tell me, Miss…"

"LaFont… wait, I mean Bellbrook. Mirabelle… Bellbrook. Call me Miri."

"Ah. Miss Miri, are you the girl who sang last night?"

I froze. "Um, of course not. I have really, really bad stage fright."

"Ah, so I see. Chronic shyness. Bumping into walls. I think you need a formal visit with Doctor Justin Manchester. How about tomorrow at midnight?"

"Ummm…" Was he asking me out? Dang, less than twenty four hours since I started here, and a guy already was giving me attention? Weird.

Fortunately, Zoey stopped before I could answer. A large oak tree towered over us, and a golden plaque gleamed beneath it. Everyone crowded around her.

"This is the East Wall. In the late October of 2005, I myself wandered down here. A fledgling had died earlier that day- someone I knew- and as I sat here, I saw her. This fledgling had grayed skin, dirty, ratty hair, and glowing red eyes. She smelled like an old basement. Her Mark was faded."

"This fledgling was an early version of today's red fledglings, however, you would not know it. With red Marks instead of blue, and having fangs aside, today's look like any blue vampyre. If one was to cover their Marks and close their mouth, one would be hard-pressed to tell the difference."

A girl standing next to me raised her hand. "Professor Redbird, if this is Blue I, why are we learning about the red fledglings?"

Zoey spoke softly. "The People of Faith say that we are monsters because we drink the blood of humans. They do not trouble themselves with the real facts- we aren't monsters any more than a bat. If we were to forget the facts of the red vampyres and their stories, their differences, we would eventually call them monsters as well. Species does not deem you a monster. Actions do."

"Does anyone know who was the High Priestess of Tulsa before I was?"

I looked at Zoey, and raised my hand slowly. I wasn't sure I wanted to call attention to myself by knowing. But she nodded. "Neferet was her name, wasn't it?"

Zoey nodded solemnly. "Yes. It was she who discovered what is known today as affiniterum- a common enough, but hard to find element that can restore life to a dead fledgling vampyre by changing hormone balances. While it does bring life back, it also raises the intense bloodlust that fully-Changed vampyres feel into an almost unbearable sensation, and also comes with a few physical changes, and many magical ones. Human, Blue, and Red scientists alike are still struggling to identify and determine the causes of many of these. Affiniterum can also instigate insanity within it's recipients, however staying around adult red vampyres can stop it. This is why they stay around adults just as you do- even though they can't die naturally again, they can lose their souls completely."

I thought of Isabelle going insane and killing everyone in the dorm. It didn't make me feel any better about the way this day was going.

Zoey talked on and on about the Great Vampyre War, the massacre that resulted in casualties from all sides, and that stuff while I tried to pay attention. But it was hard.

The bell finally rang, and I was secretly relieved. Until, of course, I looked at my schedule and realized I still hadn't chosen my elective. I sighed. Since the two I was debating over were held in the same hall, I walked slowly, planning to choose when I got there.

The bell started chiming as I entered the hall, and I glanced at my schedule to see which was closer. Drama, right next to me. I ducked in quickly, only to bump into a handsome male vampyre with a mask-like set of Marks.

He smiled, showing white teeth. "Mirabelle?"

I nodded.

"It's a pleasure to have you in class, especially after so long... I'm Professor Erik Night." He extended his hand, but as I reached to shake it, he grasped my wrist instead. Almost instantly, the vampyre handshake my mom had taught me back when we lived here was remembered, and I took his wrist in response, shaking gently.

"There's a seat right over there- we're working on improv right now. Easy enough for new students. But if you do need any help, feel free to ask."

I took the seat he pointed out to me, and watched as a group went on to the miniature stage that seemed to be newly installed. They acted out a short skit (filled with many "ummmms" and "ahhhs") about one of their cats being stuck in the huge oak we had gathered under earlier this morning.

Professor Night came up to me. "Miri, would you like to try with a group?" I shook my head violently. He smiled at me before going back to his desk to assign a topic to another group.

Isabelle was up on stage with that group (the topic was "Going on a shopping trip- concealer comes off in the rain). I had to stop myself from laughing- while her singing voice was fantastic, she was flat and emotionless as she acted. I still clapped for her group when they finished.

Unlike Zoey's class, Drama seemed to go by too quickly. I was soon finding my way back to the Sociology hall, next door to which was my Lit class.

Professor Penthesilia made me wonder about what she was doing in a high school. Unless she was as bad an actress as Isabelle, she could go into theatre. Her Marks framed her entire face, instead of just the eyes as Professor Night's had. And they way she launched into her reading of A Wind in the Door was dynamic. I had read the book before, for a book report in eighth grade Accelerated English, but I had never been so caught up in this magical, dangerous world of love like I had before. It was as if I was there with Meg and Mr. Jenkins, and Cal, kything, learning, and loving with them.

But soon enough, like in Drama, the bell snapped me out of it. I headed back to the Performing Arts Center, which Choral Studies was also put in.

Choral Studies, which seemed to be just a fancy way to say Choir, was the only class even close to the ones I had back home. Just like back at Bellbrook High, the tenors pretended like they were too cool for all of this, and the bass section paid more attention to ogling the sopranos than to their sheet music. The sopranos acted like snobs and the altos sulked and the entire choir stank. Professor Night, who also taught this class, rolled his eyes and tried to get us back on track.

It was horrible- and it made me feel less homesick.

Isabelle, who also had this class, steered me to the G and T room. Professor Damien sat at the only desk- the rest of the classroom was filled with small rugs, like the ones you sit on at Japanese restaurants. They were all organized into groups of five, and Isabelle sat me down on the one next to her. Before long, Dresden a boy who sat by us at lunch, and girl I'd never seen before walked in, and filled our small circle.

The bell rang for class to start, and Professor Damien signaled me over. I walked to his desk, confused. "Yes, sir?" I asked.

"Mirabelle, I realize it's only been one day, but I was wondering if there was any sign of your affinity yet? Zoey had a sense that you would have one, but it may not have manifested yet. However, based on the activity we're doing today, it would be good to know."

A small battle raged inside my head. To tell or not to tell? I knew I had a gift (or else I was completely insane), but I had no clue as to what it was.

Professor Damien seemed to sense my hesitation. "Of course, if you do, you should tell Zoey first. She's your mentor, correct?" I nodded. "And Mirabelle," he said, "don't be so shy about it. A good mentor is compliant, no matter how it makes her feel. I don't know what power you might have, but I can tell you're apprehensive about sharing."

I smiled weakly, (a little) less worried. Maybe he was right. "I'll say something at lunch," I promised.


	7. Secret affinities suck

Zoey sat down at her desk, motioning me to pull up a chair. "How's your first day, Miri?"

I sat on the other side of her desk, nervously pulling at my hair. Um, it's okay… I just kind of… I had a dream where I saw Nyx."

Zoey was serious. "What did she say?"

I got really shy again. "Um, well, she didn't really say much. Just that I had an affinity for some element or another."

"You don't remember which?" Zoey asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"N…no, not really."

My mentor sat up. "Well, let's see. Your mother could manifest Earth for a while… maybe you inherited that. Do you remember how to cast a circle, Miri?"

It had been a long time, but I vaguely remembered a blond woman with red marks helping me blow out a pretty green candle. "I dunno. Sort of."

Zoey stood up. "Follow me, Miri."

We walked down a long hallway, to a wooden door with the number 225 etched on it. Zoey knocked lightly, and it flew open almost immediately. "Anastasia?" Zoey called out. "Are you available for a moment?"

A grown vampyre woman came to the door. "Yes, Zoey?"

"Can we borrow a few of your students? We need to cast a circle."

"Sure," the vampyre said. "Dresden, Isaac… how many students do you need, Zoey? Four?" Zoey nodded, and she named off two more students. "Bella, and Harmon. Go with Professor Redbird, please."

Dresden smiled at me as our strange group- three blue fledglings, a blue vampyre, two red fledglings- trampled outside.

Zoey led us to the tree we were at earlier, for Vamp Soc class. "Okay, guys… do you already have elements that you're supposed to represent?" The fledglings nodded. "Alright. Go to your places in the circle."

Almost by instinct, I knew that the place where Dresden stood represented Air. Zoey and I stood in the middle- that was Spirit, right? So the three students I didn't know must have Water, Fire, and Earth.

Zoey handed a candle to each student, including me, then pulled out a matchbook. "Okay, Miri- just follow me around the circle. And remember- if you want to say something, or do something inside the circle, do it. Okay?"

"Okay," I nodded.

Zoey and I walked over to Dresden, and the High Priestess began to speak. "The wind speaks to us, and the oxygen nourishes our body and our minds. With this in mind, I call Air to the circle!" She touched the match to the candle, and a flame flickered from one to the other. "Feel anything, Miri?" she asked in a whisper. I shook my head, and we moved on.

"Flames have been used to cook food, to scare away evil, to provide warmth. With this in mind, I call Fire to the circle!" Zoey barely had to touch the match to the wick before the candle burst with a bright flame. "Anything?" she asked again.

"Nope," I whispered back.

Walking over to west, Zoey spoke once more. "Waves cool us, and provide something we need to live. With this in mind, I call Water to the circle!"

"Nothing yet," I whispered before Zoey had a chance to ask.

At the Earth station, Zoey smiled as she spoke. "This element provides our home. It is nature, it is a place to grow food, and frolic in the woods. With this in mind, I call Earth to the circle!" She glanced at me inquisitively, and I shook my head.

We headed back to the middle. "This is who we are. It tells us what to do, what to be, and what to do with what we have. With this in mind, I call Spirit to the circle!" The Spirit candle flared, and Zoey looked down on me. "That's all the elements- are you sure you didn't feel anything?"

No, this was wrong. She was wrong. That's wasn't the end. "There's another candle…" I said, not thinking. And on a whim, I glanced down into the grass.

Sitting there, like I knew there would be, was a pure white candle, the same style and height as the others. I picked it up, set it on the table that was in the middle of our circle, and took the matches from Zoey. "Let me try something," I whispered, half-afraid to even light the match.

But it felt right. Words sprung to my lips, and I repeated them, knowing that they could only have been given to me by Nyx herself. "If Spirit is who we are, then this is who we seem. It guides us through dark and troubled times. It gives us hope, lets us laugh when there is nothing to laugh about. It bonds people, and it destroys them. With this in mind, I call Love to the circle!"

I touched the match to the white candle and watched it burn. And as five people stared at me, golden smoke fanned out inside the circle.


	8. What kind of a power is that?

"Holy crap, Love?" one of the red fledglings- the one representing fire- muttered, watching the wisps of gold fly around. "Is that even an element?"

Zoey's Marks made her eyes, widened in curiosity, seem absolutely huge. "I don't… well, if it's here, yeah, I guess it is." She examined my face, as if I was going to get chicken pox or something any second. Huh.

I shrugged. "But what can you do with Love? I mean, with Air, you can blow things away, with Fire you can blow things up… Water can do some pretty neat crap, and so can Earth… even Spirit can make you brave. What can Love do?"

Dresden shrugged. "Well, Love can… maybe you can make people fall in love?"

"Oh joy," I muttered darkly. "I'm the world's first vampyre cupid. Aphrodite's child, indeed."

"I'm sure that Nyx has a plan for you and your gift. If you look inside yourself, maybe the plan will become apparent," Zoey said, switching from ultra-confused woman who looked barely older than me (let alone, my mother's age) to insanely wise High Priestess of Nyx.

Truth be told, I was starting to get an idea. I mean, Darius, my father, he was somewhere in Tulsa. And my mother would be here for a few days- until Monday. Maybe Dresden was on to something. Maybe Nyx wanted me to get my mom and dad back together.

But it wasn't that my parents hadn't loved each other. They had- their love was all I remember of my father. I remembered the love they shared, and the excuse my mother gave me when I was only four.

"_We aren't divorcing in that sense, Miri," Mommy said when I asked her. "It's just… Aunt Zoey has to be protected. Neferet…"_

"_Is that the big bad scary woman, Mommy?" I asked._

"_Yes, Miribird, that's the big bad scary woman. She may not actually be gone like we thought, so your Aunt Zoey needs Daddy to help her. Okay?"_

"_But why do we have to go all the way to Oreo?"_

"_Ohio, Miribird. It's Ohio."_

"_But why?" I whined, stamping my little foot._

_I could see a tear on Mommy's face. "It's… it's for the best," she whispered._

_Remembering that, after going so long without even thinking of my childhood days at the House of Night, sent a stabbing pain through my head. In a sense, I could easily blame my parent's divorce on Zoey. Maybe I should. Who knows, it could be some parental cover-up for an affair…_

_Nah, I knew Zoey and Professor Night were married. And from what I remember, they seemed perfectly happy together. I bet they had never had any trouble._

"_Omigoddess! Miri, it's like… like…"_

"_What?" I shot, a bit annoyed._

_Zoey supplied a comforting smile. "I was wondering if that would happen. Look at your Mark." _

_She handed me a compact mirror, and I gaped. Wrapped around my blue crescent was a wispy golden heart._

"_A golden heart," Zoey said, "for Love. The first holder in a millennium or two if I'm right." _

"_No, someone has it. They just don't know it, I guess," I said, remembering Nyx's words from the dream._

_Zoey nodded. "We'll talk more in a moment," she promised, "But this is still an open circle. Miri- will you release the elements?"_

_I didn't exactly feel up to it, what with the burning in my forehead and the fact that I had just been given an affinity for an element nobody knew existed until about three minutes ago. But I knew I had to do it." "Thank you, Love, you may depart." I blew out the white candle._

_Going over to Zoey, I blew out her the purple. "Thank you, Spirit, you may depart."_

_I released the other four elements in a hurry. As aforementioned… wasn't in the mood. _

_But Zoey wasn't going to realize that. She hurried over to me. "An unusual Mark," she said, smiling, "and an affinity on your first day here. Miri, I think I was right to ask to be your mentor. You are going to be a truly unusual fledgling."_

"_I don't really want to be unusual," I groaned. "I want to go to bed and wake up normal. If normal comes in the form of a blue crescent moon… so be it. But normal people do not have golden heart tattoos in the middle of their foreheads. That just doesn't happen to normal people."_

_Zoey smiled and took off her sweater. I was immediately stunned into silence- I had only seen Zoey's face, and although it had more Marks than any other vamp's, I was sure that was it. _

_I was wrong. She was wearing a tank top, and on her shoulders, back, and arms I could see an ancient lace pattern with some sort of ancient runes weaved in between them. She pulled off the gloves she wore- wait, didn't vamps not get cold? The gloves should have been suspicious, I realized- and I saw that even her hands were coated in the blue lacework. The effect was both intimidating and gorgeous. She must have done something truly amazing to get those, I realized._

_But I was getting tattoos unlike any other vampyre or fledgling too, I realized. And I was just plain old Mirabelle La… wait… Mirabelle Bellbrook._

_Our group trudged back to the school building. I noticed everyone except Dresden, who walked beside me, and Zoey trying to catch another glimpse of my forehead. Oh, Goddess. I was officially a freak._


	9. Aunt RaeRae has a secret

"Love? What can you actually do with that?" Isabelle asked as she plopped down on her bed.

I shrugged. "No clue. Zoey gave me the whole 'look inside yourself' mentor crap- so I'm guessing she doesn't know what I can do either."

"Maybe Nyx will talk to you again. Or give you another hint. Professor Johnson- that's my mentor, the Red Vampyre High Priestess- she says that everything works out for a reason." Isabelle laughed suddenly. "At least, she says it if you can understand her twang."

"Maybe," I said, not entirely convinced. "Or maybe it was a fluke. Maybe Nyx thought I was someone else. And that's why she Marked me. That's why she gave me an affinity. She probably meant to Mark Cassadee or one of my other friends in Bellbrook."

"I don't think she did," Isabelle said. "Let's look at the facts. First, Nyx is a goddess. And goddesses don't make mistakes. And second, out of all your friends, who else has connections to the Tulsa House of Night? You've got a history here, Miri. And Nyx chose you because of it."

"But why choose me to wield the element of Love? I bet there are plenty of fledglings more worthy than I am."

"And there are probably more worthy people than me to be mind readers. And more worthy people than Dresden to…"

"Dresden has an affinity?" I interrupted.

"Yeah. She controls… well, she can control the bloodlust that us red fledglings and vamps feel. Make us almost… normal for a while. It's easier not to kill anybody when she's around." Isabelle smiled slightly, her fangs gleaming. "Of course, Professor Johnson thinks we need to learn to control it without Dress's help. So she rooms with a blue fledgling."

"Oh." I suddenly thought of that Justin boy. _We wouldn't have to worry about our roomies killing us in the middle of the night, _he had said. Was there a grain of truth to that? Had the red fledglings committed murder?

"I haven't" Isabelle said, responding to my thoughts. "But… yeah. It's happened. And it does give the vampire-with-an-I legends another grain of truth. If a blue fledgling gets bit and killed by a red fledgling- they become one."

_"Mommy, why aren't we vampyres like Daddy and everybody else here?"_

_"Well, Miribird… you know Aunt Rae-Rae? She was under a spell once, and started to hurt Mommy. But instead of hurting Mommy, it just turned her into a human and made Aunt Rae-Rae grow up all big!"_

"But my mom," I realized. "She got bit and killed by a red fledgling when she was my age. And she turned human."

Isabelle shot up. "Holy crap, wasn't your last name LaFont?"

"Yeah."

"Then your mom is Aphrodite LaFont?"

"Yeah."

"Dude, she's a legend! Aphrodite- she's supposed to be the savior of the red vamps or something! So that woman… ominyx, I met Aphrodite! So cool!"

It was weird to hear someone talking about my mother like she was some sort of celebrity. I mean, this wasn't anyone special. It was a thirty-three year old woman with blonde hair who switched from raising me with the help of an entire school to raising me single-handedly. It was my mother.

"See? You definitely have a heritage here. Nyx so chose you for a reason," Isabelle gushed.

I smiled. Maybe she was right.

Nyx didn't come visit my dreams that night- wait, day. In fact, I couldn't remember dreaming at all. I woke up at 6 pm on Saturday evening, Isabelle already showered and dressed. "Welcome to your first weekend as a vampyre fledgling," she said, smiling. "Weekend meaning everyone heads to Utica Square and pretends that they don't even know what vampyres are. Here!"

She had tossed something at me, and I caught it on the tips of my fingers. "Concealer?" I asked, glancing at the label.

She nodded. "Yep, it's a miracle worker if you want to cover your Mark.

The first thought that occurred to me is that maybe I could cover the golden heart with the concealer. Only Zoey, Dresden, Isabelle, and a few random fourth-formers had seen my weird Mark. Some of them were bound to tell people, but if people couldn't see it for themselves…

I rubbed a little on and turned to face Isabelle. "Ta da! No more heart!"

She giggled a little. "Are you sure you got it on in the right place, Miri?"

I looked in the mirror next to my bed. The heart was not only still there, bringing out the slight gold tones in my hair and skin, the hazel of my eyes, but it seemed to be glowing a little bit brighter. Staring at the Mark in the mirror this time, I rubbed some more concealer onto it. But again, it seemed to overpower the makeup, leaving the heart even more prominent than it was before.

"Maybe Nyx doesn't want you to hide your Mark," Isabelle suggested. She was obviously having no trouble getting rid of her red crescent outline.

"Yeah, my Mark isn't anything special," Isabelle said, answering my thoughts. "The fangs, however- it's a pain, remembering to smile with your mouth closed every time you want to catch some shopping or a movie. You blue fledglings have it so lucky."

"Not me," I commented miserably, "not if I can't get rid of this gold tattoo."

A knock on my door startled me, and I got up to get it. Pulling open the door, I saw a woman- blonde, pale-skinned, and with a full compliment of red Marks- beaming down at me. "Miribird, darlin'!" Her voice twanged on my childhood nickname. "My, you've shot up like a corn stalk in July!"

Isabelle waved behind me. "Hi, Professor Johnson. What are you doing up here so early?"

"I heard that our little Miribird had gotten Marked, and I wanted to come up and see if she remembered me!" The woman smiled perkily, her short curls bouncing.

I smiled in response. "Of course I remember you, Professor Johnson…"

"None of that 'Professor Johnson' bullpoopie from you, m'kay Miri? Just call me Aunt Rae-Rae like you used to. Or are you too old for all that? Maybe you could just say Aunt Stevie, or Stevie Rae or somethin'…"

"Aunt Rae-Rae is fine," I smiled.

"Well, what I'm tryin' to say is that I'm happy to see you after eleven years. And I heard you got quite an unusual gift?"

"Unfortunately," I muttered under my breath as Isabelle jumped into the conversation with, "Yeah, she's got an affinity for Love! And Stevie Rae- you've got to check out this girl's forehead! It's gorgeous!"

I expected that she had already heard of it, but when she glanced at the golden heart, I could hear her whisper "Oh my GOODNESS!"

I blushed, which probably had a horrible clash with the yellow and the blue that decorated my forehead- oh hell, yellow and blue? Great- first I get a stupid affinity, then nobody even knows what it can do, now I'm betraying the scarlet and grey that supposedly ran through my mother's veins.

"It's so pretty, Miribird darlin'!" Aunt Rae-Rae exclaimed.

"Yeah," I said, raising my eyebrow, "and it won't go away."

"Now, why would you want it to? That Mark is all about who you are, and it's a symbol that you're gonna go on and do some great things for Nyx. Maybe she just don't want it to be concealed." From the few things I remembered about my Aunt Rae-Rae, this moment of High Priestess wisdom was a bit out of character for the perky vampyre, despite the fact that she held the title.

Isabelle smiled. "That's exactly what I said, Stevie Rae."

Aunt Rae-Rae smiled. "Well, I just wanted to come up and say hello. Even on a weekend, I got quite a bit of things to do. I'll see y'all around, m'kay?" She waved at us as she walked up the hallway, then down the flight of stairs.

"We'd better be heading to breakfast too," Isabelle said. "They always have the best stuff on the weekends- french toast and mushroom omelets and even foreign stuff- did you know they eat grilled cheese for breakfast in Spain sometimes? I seriously can't start my weekends without a _sandwich de jamon y queso._"

"This school is certainly interesting," I commented, throwing on a jacket with the third-former symbol on it. Isabelle was behind me in an instant, pulling it off.

"You so don't want to wear that," she said. "Weekends are the only time we don't have to. Here."

She had shoved a flowy yellow-gold blouse into my hands, along with a pair of dark-wash jeans that looked a bit expensive. "Huh?" I asked.

Isabelle looked impatient. "It's a blouse from the spring collection I'm planning. But you're wearing it. It brings out your Mark too well to just leave on the mannequin for five months more."

I complied, changing quickly from my uniform black sweater and old sweatpants into the outfit she had picked out for me. A glance in the mirror showed a transformed Miri- a different girl. The Miri of four days ago would have been appalled at this girl, with a Mark that claimed to be more than any other fledgling, and an outfit that made her look strong, confident, and (although we all pretended not to care about it) popular.

Breakfast that evening (see, I was getting used to it!) was really good, with even more variety than the day before. It still wasn't the best meal I'd ever had, though, as everyone in the hall kept glancing at me- or, more specifically, the gold tattoo on my forehead. "This just sucks," I murmured to Dresden, who had sat beside me, and now had the job of flipping off all who were caught staring.

She sighed. "I'd hate to be in your position myself- but all I can say is you should be happy to have such a tangible omen of your fate."

"_Tangible_!" Isabelle exclaimed, rolling her eyes. "That thing isn't just _tangible_, Professor McBigwords- it's _out there_."

"This discussion is making me feel _so _much more confident," I muttered sarcastically, adjusting my bangs in hopes people would look away if there was nothing to see. They didn't.

A tap on my shoulder made me whirl around quickly. "Miss Bellbrook?" a somewhat familiar voice asked. I glanced up, only to see the blond boy from Vampyre Sociology- Jason? James? Wait… Justin!

"Yeah?" I responded.

He flashed a cute little grin. "I believe we have a date today at midnight?"

"Do we?" Was I just forgetful, or had that never been decided?

"Do you want to do it? We could go out for a movie, or I could show you around campus… I dunno. Just do something to get away from the dead girl killer."

Isabelle whipped around. "Oh look- it's Justin Man-chest-hair. What a pleasant surprise," she snarled. Justin smirked and did that cross thing over his heart. Isabelle glared. "You think you're so clever, don't you? How can you- I mean, you're like, the first fledgling in history to flunk Vamp Soc, and yet you just think you're Nyx's gift to vampyrekind. Miri doesn't want to date you, and we don't want her to. Stupidity is probably catching, and you know how the vamps want us healthy."

Justin gave her the once over. "Look who's talking- it's the girl who's already dead." He waved his hand dismissively. "Whatever. Mirabelle- if you want to hang out with people who are actually breathing, you know where to find me." And Justin pranced off, not even glancing behind.

I could feel my jaw dropping. "What the hell was that?"

Dresden dropped her voice. "That's Justin, but I'm guessing you already knew that part. He's kind of a… well, I guess you could call it a racist. Doesn't trust anyone who doesn't have a blue crescent moon on their forehead- not humans, nor red vamps. He got a detention once for ignoring Professor Johnson when she told him to get the candles for our Spells and Rituals class practice full moon ceremony when she was visiting that class one day. Anastasia went all kick butt on him, then gave him a detention. It wasn't pretty- but he so deserved it."

As I said- not a good breakfast. Not a good morning at all, especially when the rest of Isabelle's group went to Utica Square, and left me alone. And no matter how well I was settling in, it still wasn't home yet.

I had raised my hand to knock on the wooden door when a soft, sweet voice said, "Come in, darlin'!"

I walked into Aunt Rae-Rae's office to find her lying on… a chair shaped like a cowboy boot. Of all things.

Aunt Rae-Rae jumped up quickly and hugged me. "So what's goin' on, Miribird?"

I shuffled my feet. "Aunt Rae-Rae, this might get a little awkward… but I need to ask you something. Seriously."

"Of course, what?" the vampyre said, sitting again. "Are you havin' to deal with a bunch of rude people starin' at your Mark?"

"Well yeah, but that's not my problem." I sighed. "Actually, maybe I shouldn't."

She reached out and took my hands. "Miri, I promise that I won't laugh or tell or whatever it is you're worried about me doing. Zoey may be your mentor, but you are part of the family here in Tulsa. We may not be related, but we're family right here." She placed her hand over her heart. "And we should know that better than anyone else."

"We?" That was a weird way to phrase it.

Stevie Rae smiled a sad smile. "Y'know my story, right Miri?"

"Yeah, pretty much. First Red Vamp High Priestess, helping to save the world, getting a few cool new powers and all that jazz, right?"

"And my affinity in the circle was…"

"Earth, of course," I responded promptly. "And you handed it off to my mom when you… umm… hmmm…"

"Died, went a bit crazy, started to look like a countrified Dracula, as your momma would say?"

"Sure. And then, when my mom turned human, you got it back. But at the same time, it helped you from my mother, allowing you to keep a spark of humanity and…"

She held up her hand. "That's where the stories start to go all wonky-like. I kept my humanity because I could harness the powers of the sixth element… just like you, Miribird."

I could literally feel my jaw dropping. "You have got to be kidding me. Then why don't you have a crazy Mark."

She pointed to her forehead and laughed. "Now you believe me- back then, this Mark was crazy enough on it's own. I don't think I needed a gold heart to go along with it- and it looks so much better against dark hair than light anyways."

"But how come Zoey didn't know? How come Nyx said nobody would know?"

"I never told Zoey. It seemed like- well, sort of one-upping her. Like she had all these cool powers, but Nyx gifted me with the mysterious secret one. So I just… didn't say anything." Aunt Rae-Rae squirmed guiltily in her seat, like a little kid caught stealing from the cookie jar.

I suddenly remembered something my mother had told me about Aunt Rae-Rae. Mom had said that she kept a lot of secrets.

I shook that little tidbit of information right out of my head. "So… could you teach me or something?"

She furrowed her brow. "Well, on the one hand, I think maybe Nyx gave me the gift so you could have someone to help you out. I never did do much with it- Love was an elemental presence. I mean, I could tell it was there an' all, but I never really ended up usin' it. But I know that it is one of those things where you have to learn some of it all by your lonesome."

"Oh," I sighed. "So I'm right back where I started."

"Not quite," Aunt Rae-Rae said, looking like the High Priestess she was. "Now you know what your affinity is for, and somebody else who has it, too. You just need to figure out what it's for."

"Easier said than done. I don't even know what my power can do. And you said you didn't either, right?"

She shot me a huge grin. "Why, I never said anythin' of the sort, Miribird."

Aunt Rae-Rae's hand reached out to touch mine, and I could feel a wave of happiness and trust and… candy and sunlight and beauty and all the wonderful things in the world.

I had a sudden urge to hum that _So This Is Love_ song from Cinderella, a musical pun. "Wow," I breathed. "That was pretty flippin' sweet. But what exactly does it do?"

Her wise High Priestess- esque smile was back. "I think that might be your thing to figure out, sweetie. I think that this affinity is for you, not me."

"Okay, okay, but couldn't you at least show me how to do what you just did?" I begged, eager for even a tidbit of information about this mysterious new affinity of mine.

Aunt Rae-Rae laughed. "Now don't go tellin' me you don't remember how to call to the elements? Just like callin' a mini-circle, with only one element, right?"

It came back to me- my first few magic lessons, when I had just turned four years old and all was fine with Mom and my dad.

_"You can summon the elements in a circle, Miribird, or you can just call them separately. Okay?"_"So I just call for Love?"

"M'kay, Aunt Zoey!" I exclaimed, wriggling in my seat.

Aunt Zoey smiled at me and held up her hands like the statue of the pretty woman outside the building we were in. "Spirit! Come to me!" she called, and I felt a rush of adrenaline.

"Yep, it's as easy as apple pie," the red vampyre High Priestess twanged.

I raised my hands, mimicking my memory of Zoey. "Love! Come to me!" I said, and those feelings of joy and chocolate and warmth and all that was lovely came to me once again. But the feeling was somehow different. This was in my control, and I knew in that second it was in my control for a reason.

I could hear the whisper of Nyx, telling me to use it with wisdom.


End file.
